Where Dreams Begin(96)

“Zachary.” Holly shook her head with a disapproving sigh. She drew the bed linens over herself and contemplated him while he lounged unabashedly na**d beside her. “Your sister loves this man. You must respect her choice. And even if she and Mr. Somers do pass this test of yours, they will never forgive you for it, and you'll have caused an irreparable breach in the family.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“You know,” she murmured. Cuddling closer to him, she blew gently into the curls on his chest.

“Dammit, Holly, I've spent my whole life doing things a certain way, and I can't change that. It's my nature to protect myself and my family from all the bastards who'd try to take advantage of us, and I'll admit, I've become set in my ways. If you're going to try and turn me into some kind of milquetoast—”

“Of course not.” She drew her tongue over the jutting edge of his collarbone, and delved into the hollow where his pulse beat strongly. “I wouldn't want to change you in any way.” Pressing her face against his throat, she let her long eyelashes tickle his skin. “But I want so much for your sister to be happy, Zachary. Would you deny her the same joy that you and I have found? Forget this wretched test, and send for Mr. Somers.”

She sensed his inner struggle, the desire to control the situation warring with the gentler side of his nature. As she continued to entreat and caress him, however, he gave a reluctant laugh. His hands came up to her soft white shoulders, pressing her back to the flattened pillow. “I don't like being managed,” he grumbled.

She smiled at him. “I'm not trying to manage you, my darling. I'm only making an appeal to your higher nature.”

The endearment caused his expression to become hungry and absorbed, and the argument seemed to lose interest for him. “As I once told you, my lady, I have no higher nature.”

“But you'll send for Mr. Somers?” she prompted. “And settle things for Elizabeth?”

“Yes. Later.” He dragged away the layers of linen that covered her, and settled a hand over her breast.

“But Zachary,” she said, gasping a little as he spread her knees. “You can't possibly do this again…not so soon after…” The feel of his hard length sliding inside her caused all words to fade into an astonished moan.

“Damned if I can't,” he muttered tenderly against her breast, catching a flushed nipple between his teeth, and for a long time all conversation stopped.

Holly held Zachary's hand as they wandered along the wilderness walk of his estate garden. Her skirts brushed clumps of purple and white crocuses, while a light spring breeze stirred through yellow irises and gleaming white snowdrops that were strewn along the borders of the grassy walk. Long, thick ribbons of fragile yellow aconites led to vast groves of honeysuckle and Japanese apricot. Breathing deeply of the fragrant air, Holly felt happiness welling in her chest until it spilled into an irrepressible laugh. “Your house may be an architectural horror,” she said, “but oh, this garden is a glimpse of heaven.”

Zachary's hand tightened on hers, and she saw a smile cross his face. The afternoon had been the most blissful either of them had ever known, the hours filled with lovemaking and soft laughter, and even a few tears as they shared the secrets of their hearts. Now that they had reconciled, it seemed there were a thousand things to discuss, and not nearly enough time. However, Holly was eager to return to the Taylors' home and share with her daughter the news of her impending marriage. The Taylor family would be outraged, of course, and added to their unhappiness over the match would be the complete surprise of realizing that George's wife was rejecting his last wishes. They would hardly understand that the decision was not a cavalier one. She simply had no choice. The fact was, she couldn't live without Zachary Bronson.

“Stay with me,” Zachary said quietly. “I'll send for Rose, and you'll both live here while we arrange for the wedding.”

“You know I can't do that.”

He frowned and guided her carefully around a small marble and brass sundial set in the ground. “I don't want to let you out of my sight.”

Holly diverted his attention by bringing up the subject of the wedding ceremony, stressing that she wanted it to be accomplished with discretion and expediency. Unfortunately, it seemed that Zachary desired something far more grandiose. Upon hearing of his ideas for a large church, a thousand doves, a dozen trumpeters, a banquet for five hundred and various other appalling schemes, Holly firmly stated that she would have nothing to do with such an event.

“We'll have something private and very quiet, and above all, small,” she said. “It's the only choice, really.”

“I agree,” he said readily. “On second thought, we don't need to invite more than three hundred guests.”

Holly gave him an incredulous glance. “When I said ‘small,’ I had a different number in mind. Perhaps half a dozen.”

His jaw set obstinately. “I want all of London to know that I've won you.”

“They'll know,” she said dryly. “I'm sure the ton will talk of little else…and it's a certainty that none of my scandal-avoiding former friends would attend the wedding, extravagant or otherwise.”

“Nearly all of mine would,” he said cheerfully.